Are you "full" in Christ?

[Stope]

Readers of the PB, I ask you, are you full in Christ? That is, are you 100% full? Not in the sense of 100% justified, or 100% in Christ, but in the sense that Charles Taylor talks about how all humans desire to be "full" (and indeed this fullness only can come from Christ). As for me, I do drink from the refreshing Christ, I find joy and hope and peace in Him, Im 100% positive of position in Him, HOWEVER, is do not FEEL full... Rather I feel that daily I have to fill my cup, and some days more than others

 

[KMK]

Can you be more specific? Can you provide a particular passage of Scripture that references this 'feeling' that eludes you?

 

[Ray]

What do you mean?

 

[Stope]

When Augustine says "our hearts our restless until they find rest in you"...

or

Ephesians 3:14-19
[14] For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, [15] from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, [16] that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, [18] may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, [19] and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (ESV).. And Calvin on that passage "That ye may be filled. Paul now expresses in one word what he meant by the various dimensions. He who has Christ has everything necessary for being made perfect in God; for this is the meaning of the phrase, the fullness of God. Men do certainly imagine that they have entire completeness in themselves, but it is only when their pride is swelled with empty trifles. It is a foolish and wicked dream, that by the fullness of God is meant the full Godhead, as if men were raised to an equality with God."

Or

Psalm 63 (heres vs 1 "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in va dry and weary land where there is no water.) (Also Psalm 84:2)... Really the very condition of man is that we have a sense of lostness and a desire for something more (See Kellers first ch in making Sense of God and even the first bulk of Institutes)...

Regardless of how its phrased, or whatnot, I ask you if you readers find yourself filled/full/satisfied/rested/complete/etc., or do you often find yourself weary, and still thirsty, and faint, and in a desert, etc.?

 

[KGP]

I recall doing a quick word search of the NT and finding most of the references to the Spirit in the life of the believer focuses on either the actions or effect of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer or the truth that the Holy Spirit is every believers present possession.

I did this search to see whether it's valid to seek to be 'filled' with the Spirit; as per common evangelical language. The verse you quoted was (If I recall correctly) the only one that seemed to command us to 'be filled' in any sort of manner.


As for your question of fullness; I do not feel very full at all these days, with the odd exception. I wondered to myself yesterday if the me of 6 years ago would even recognize me today. It is difficult to discern the real causes; as there may be many, but the bottom line is that I belong to God; I am his plant to water so to speak. He has revived me from the depths of desolation before; and the truth is that unless he works; we shall certainly be desolate; if he does not lead us to places of refreshment; we will not find them. We shall not be long in the desert; one way or the other.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

An interesting search of "spirit" and "filled" within 2 verses of one another in the same book chapter, courtesy of SwordSearcher (Deluxe Edition), a tool with the fastest and best search facility available today:

Spoiler

And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;

That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.

Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

¶ All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.

Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.

So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.

For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:

The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.

For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

¶ For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

⇑ Click the Spoiler button

 

[KMK]

HOWEVER, is do not FEEL full... Rather I feel that daily I have to fill my cup, and some days more than others

Is it possible that what you feel you are missing is the perfection of holiness in heaven?

LBC:

Chapter 13; Paragraph 2. This sanctification is throughout the whole man,7 yet imperfect in this life; there abides still some remnants of corruption in every part,8 wherefrom arises a continual and irreconcilable war; the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.9

Paragraph 3. In which war, although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail,10 yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part does overcome;11 and so the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, pressing after an heavenly life, in evangelical obedience to all the commands which Christ as Head and King, in his Word has prescribed to them.12

If so, you may be beating yourself up for nothing. None of us is filled with the perfection of graces this side of glory. We shall all "as the hart panteth after the water brooks," so long as there remains in us some remnants of corruption.

 

[lynnie]

I know what you mean. I have certain days where it is hard to get past the worries and distractions of this life and those days you do feel sort of like the seed that sprung up and is being choked. Other days are great. Some are sort of in between.

I think this past election season was a drain. Time wise, I read a lot of news articles both leading up to it and after. I'm trying to pull back from it now. Every single Christian I know was talking about it in one fashion or another, especially online- it was often a bigger focus than the Lord. That somewhat empty feeling might be from too much exposure to the narcissist and the nasty. Force yourself to distance from it. Just a guess, might not apply to you.

 

[KMK]

Every single Christian I know was talking about it in one fashion or another, especially online

Christians + Politics + Internet are not always a good combination. That is why the PB Politics and Govt Forum is so heavily moderated.